


Education

by Callida88



Series: Romione Alphabet [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angsty Hermione Granger, Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, Neck Kissing, One Shot, One Shot Collection, Post-War, Sweet Ron Weasley, The Burrow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-06
Packaged: 2018-11-09 15:17:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11107251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callida88/pseuds/Callida88
Summary: In the summer after the Battle of Hogwarts Hermione must decide if she'll return to Hogwarts to finish her education. It turns out to be a bigger dilemma than she ever anticipated.Starts off angsty and turns into some good ol' Romione fluff.





	Education

**Author's Note:**

> This installment in the series doesn't stick as closely to the premise of its title as the others, but it is _technically_ still using that as a central topic, so I think it still works? Idk, thanks for reading!

It struck Hermione as odd that a place as welcoming and homey as the Burrow could feel like such a prison. Being there had always made her feel comfortable, like a natural fit. But after spending so long away from it, after going through so much on their own, just her and the boys, the old, crooked walls surrounded them like a cage. It was more than a bit constricting to be enclosed with so many other people, with so many emotions, and not to mention the rules that were suddenly back on them. Perhaps she had become too accustomed to life away from parents, and to breaking the rules.

A million thoughts flooded her head, making her stomach churn. There was a conversation happening around her, but she wasn’t keeping up with it. She watched as Harry’s mouth moved, as Ginny smiled, as Ron said something back, but her ears weren’t picking any of it up. She felt like she was watching them from afar. Her chair scraped back as she stood, and their eyes went to her.

“I need some air,” she said. She made her way to the door, feeling their stares bore into her back.

She walked deeper into the Weasleys’ property, vaguely towards the orchard. The long-unattended grass had grown tall enough to tickle her calves. She tried to focus on that sensation, to ground herself, to pull her head out of the cloud of worry and doubt that had gathered. The afternoon sun beat down on her as she walked, scalding the tops of her shoulders. It had been hot all summer long, hot enough that her outfits had consistently been a rotation of the only two beat up pairs of shorts she owned, a couple of tank tops, and some loose-fitting t-shirts. At first it had been hard, wearing clothes that would show so many of her scars, old and new. But over time the heat won out and, she had reasoned, it was better to get used to them being seen now—they’d be on her forever, after all.

The sound of frogs croaking drifted up from the pond as she passed it. It should have made her smile, bringing back memories from the past several years, from summer days spent on this very property with her best friends, but it didn’t. Her mind was already too full.

Finally, Hermione reached the orchard. The trees there provided decent shade, and she sat beneath one, leaning against the trunk at first. She thought that the rough bark might feel nice on her back, but it proved uncomfortably scratchy and so she moved her whole body down, eventually lying flat on the soft earth.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Ron got there.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

It was too bright to look up at his face, so instead Hermione focused on his shins, which were covered in a light dusting of fair hair and a generous helping of freckles. 

“I already said. I just needed some air.”

“If that were all you needed,” Ron said, “I don’t think you’d walk all the way here and clearly have no intention of coming back for awhile.”

Hermione squinted up at his face. She needed to see if he was actually mad or just frustrated. When he frowned down at her she realized that it was neither of those things. He was feeling hurt. She crossed her arms over her stomach, resisting the urge to just curl up into a ball.

Ron sighed. He lowered himself to the ground and sat there, hunched over, his elbows resting on his bent knees. She watched him, slightly in awe of his pale body, how it glowed in sunlight.

“You’re going to get sunburnt,” she said.

He brushed her statement aside with a question. “Does this have to do with last night?”

Hermione closed her eyes. Images of the previous night swirled through her mind hazily. They had met up with many of their school friends, mostly DA members. Most hadn’t seen each other since things had died down earlier that summer, following the whirlwind that was May. The mood had been light for most of the evening, until the subject of school came up. They’d all received letters inviting them back to Hogwarts for the following year. For some, it’d be the continuation of their educations within the schedule that they had always been meant to follow, but for others, like Hermione and Ron and Harry, it would mean returning past their expected graduation date, catching up on studies that had been impossible to pursue. For everyone it would mean returning to the castle where they had already seen too much in too few years.

“Yes,” she breathed out, panic catching in her throat.

She heard Ron move closer to her, felt the earth shudder slightly as his tall frame landed beside her. His fingers ghosted down her arm before hovering near her hand.

“Just talk to me,” he said, voice soft.

A deep breath, and she forced herself to open her eyes. She turned, finding that he had lain down beside her. His blue eyes searched her face, a frown still tugging down on his mouth, and it made her feel all the worse. How could so much of his attention be devoted to her? He had worse things going on. It’d barely been two months since he lost his brother, she should’ve been worrying about him, not the other way around.

She shook her head. “I’m being daft,” she said, her voice wavering. “This should be so simple. I should know what I want. It’s school! I’ve always known what I was doing with school.”

The previous night everyone was asking various people what they were doing. Many had said that they weren’t sure, like Seamus and Padma, but others knew right away. Harry and Ron had both said no without missing a beat while Neville had said yes. No one even asked her. It was assumed, of course Hermione Granger would go running back to school. That was who she was.

The only thing was…she wasn’t sure that it was anymore.

Ron’s fingers clasped her hand. “So,” he prodded gently, “it’s not simple?”

“No,” she answered. “I mean…maybe it is. Maybe I’m overcomplicating things, but…I thought coming here for the summer would be simple, simpler than trying to live with my parents full time again anyway, but…do you ever feel a bit trapped?”

Ron chuckled softly. “Yes,” he answered. “It’s weird, trying to be back here with everything we’ve been through, everything we’ve seen since last summer.”

“What if I feel that way at Hogwarts too?”

The question hung in the air for a moment. Hermione held her breath, waiting for Ron’s answer.

He looked her in the eye and grinned. “But what if you don’t?”

Hermione frowned and looked up into the branches that hung above them. “Be serious.”

“I am,” Ron said, an edge of indignation entering his voice. “Listen, I understand why you’re worried, but the Hermione Granger I know would never let fear get in the way of education.”

Hermione sat up, glaring down at him. “We both know there’s more than one way to get an education, though. It doesn’t have to be in a classroom.”

“True,” he said. Then a smile broke out on his face and he laughed. “I so wish our twelve-year-old selves were hearing this conversation right now.” Ron’s laughter faded when he saw how serious Hermione’s expression remained. He reached out, touching her cheek. “I’ll support your decision no matter what.”

She smiled, “I know. Everything’s just such a mess right now.”

He ran his thumb up and down her cheekbone. “When hasn’t it been?”

Hermione’s laugh bubbled out of her, and she thought everything was settled, at least momentarily. But then Ron’s touch fell away and he frowned. He sat up suddenly.

“You don’t think I’m making a mistake, right? Not going back?”

Hermione frowned back at him. “Of course not, Ron. You’ve more than proven your proficiency with all sorts of magic. You don’t need any N.E.W.T.s to prove that you—”

The rest of her answer was cut off by his mouth crashing onto hers. She smiled into the kiss, her hand finding his chest.

“I still wish you’d come with me,” Hermione admitted when Ron’s mouth had moved from her lips to her jaw.

He pulled away, shrugging sheepishly. “I kinda wish I was going back , I’d basically know what to expect from that at least. I have no idea what I’ll do instead.”

Hermione grinned. Her hand found his chest again, and she pushed him back gently. “Just think,” she said, her body hovering above his, “If we both went we could do this all year.” She went to work kissing his neck.

Ron could feel the tips of his ears burn. “Is this you trying to convince me?”

Hermione answered by focusing her attentions on the spot where his neck and shoulder joined.

“Fuck,” Ron breathed out, his hands grasping at her waist.

Hermione pulled back slightly. “I take it that means it’s working.”

Laughter fell from both of their lips. Ron sat up slowly, his hands still holding Hermione’s body close to his.

“I’m going to go back,” she said.

“I know.”

They held each other in the shade of the trees for a while, kissing sometimes, but mostly just being in each other’s company.

“Oi! You two!” A shout came from the orchard’s clearing.

It was Ginny. Harry stood behind her, and they both held broomsticks.

“Are you up for some Quidditch?” Harry shouted.

“Or are you too busy making out?” Ginny added.

Hermione and Ron both blushed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Comments are always welcome and appreciated! Also, since this is part of my Romione Alphabet series, I'd love to hear ideas for subjects that could be used for other letters. Thanks!


End file.
